The Serious ATTESTATION of many Thousands, Religious and well disposed People, living in London, Westminster, Borough of Southwark, and parts adjoyning.

WHEREAS it pleased the Lord, some years since, to put a Spirit, and oppor­tunity into the hearts, and hands, of the peoples Representatives in Parliament; to assert and vindicate their Birthrights in Civills, and their Libertyes in matters of a Religious Consideration, which had been well nigh swallowed up in the Tyran­nicall, and Arbitrary prosecution of Court Principles, by persons of corrupt Inte­rest, brought in, and continued upon the necks of the Free-men of England, (viz.) Monarchy, backt with an House of Lords, Spirituall and Temporall; by whose conjoyned Influence the foundations of the Peoples Rights were successively from the Conquest more or lesse subverted, and destroyed; For the recovery whereof, the said Nations Trustees in Parliament, engaged themselves, and the good people thereof, in a long, expensive, and Bloody War; which by the blessing of the Lord of Hosts ended in the totall Subduing of their Adversaryes, and Capacitating them to Execute exemplary Justice upon the Principall, and his Abettors; to remove from their long Usurped Authority over the Commons, the Lords Civill and Ecclesiastick: And to assert by publique Declaration The Supream Au­thority to Reside originally in the People, according to the Law of God, light of nature, and right reason; And did thereupon by a Law Impose an Ingagement upon all persons To own and stand by that Common-wealth Constitution; as then Established without King or House of Lords. And whereas we are by com­mon fame Informed there is at present an endeavour to introduce the old demolished fabrick of Govern­ment in its essentiall parts, and attendances; from whence little can be expected (as we conceive) but the Reviving the Barrons War, by a successive contention betwixt distinct Families, and Persons, for the Sove­raignty, and a totall losse of the good ends of the late Contest, and Conquest, with a precipitating into tyranny, and oppression, in matters Religious and Civill: And whereas our former and late silence hath been, and is, Interpreted a consent too, and Approbation of the Transgressions of such who build what formerly they have destroyed, upon and after their frequent seeking of, and solemn appeals to the most high God in the case. To the end we may discharge our Consciences towards God, and men, by freeing our selves (as much as in us lyeth) from the guilt of all that Bloud shed in the late Wars, for the obtaining of the good things, and removing of the evill, by us and all good people aymed at; expressed in severall Petiti­ons and Remonstrances to the then Supream Authority, and prevent (what we may) the further Blasphe­ming of the holy name of God, his cause, and people (formerly associating and going hand in hand in Pray­ings, Declarations, Engagements, and Appeals) by his and their Implacable Enemies: We conceive our selves Oblidged to Testifie to the world, That we remain firme and faithfull to the good old cause, that our principles are the same, and our affections, desires, and prayers run out after, and are importunate with the Father of spirits, for the obtaining, and accomplishing (in his own way & time) the blessed ends formerly con­tended for, (viz.) The Advancing the Gospel and Kingdome of our Lord Jesus, and of impartiall Justice, Judgment, and Righteousnesse, in the way of a Common-wealth, in opposition to Monarchy, name and thing, very Rationally declared against by the long Parliament, March 17. 1648. as unnceessary burthensome and dangerous to the liberty, safety, and publique Interest of the people, and for the most part made use of to oppresse, impoverish and enslave the good people of the land, the removing and taking away the severall burthens and grivances complained of, Particularly the exercize of Arbitrary power over the lives, liberties and estates of the people, The oppression of persons in their consciences, liberties, and estates for differences of judgment in matter of re­ligion from the way of the State, The Regulating of the Lawes and their Administration, the abuse whereof is exceeding great, and burthensome, with many other perticulars which might be mentione [...], and are at large expressed in the severall Petitions of our selves, and others well-affected in the Nation. Together with the severall Petitions, Declarations, and Remonstrances of the Army, before and after their going in­to Scotland, as also in the agreement of the people presented to the then Parliament by the Army, and there re­maining upon Record, All which together with this sober Attestation may continue (as so many Pillars) to Testifie the good old Spirit to the present and future Ages.

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